


An Unusual Situation

by ComeBackWhen



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: M/M, ffviiprompts fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-21
Updated: 2015-11-27
Packaged: 2018-05-02 16:50:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5256041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ComeBackWhen/pseuds/ComeBackWhen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Completed prompt fill from ffviiprompts:</p><p>Sephiroth/Cloud: Sephiroth is used to propositioning people quite bluntly when he is interested in a one night stand and no one has ever said no to him - until Cloud, who was among his biggest fans. He’s intrigued by the rejection, but when he asks Zack for more info about his friend, he gets told to back off - Cloud isn’t interested in random hookups. Instead of listening, he awkwardly attempts to ‘woo’ Cloud in the hopes of changing his mind, but Cloud is (rightfully) wary of his intentions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

For the first time that he could recall, Sephiroth was glad to find Zack Fair waiting for him in his office. He had intended to hunt down the bouncy First at some point that afternoon, but he preferred the chance to speak with him before attempting to tackle the reports waiting for him. His mind had been strangely unsettled all morning. A flash of blonde hair in the hallway made his thoughts derail between one idea and the next. He spent entirely too long considering a Trooper that was guarding the hallway outside of the elevators. Sephiroth was sure that he had made Lazard uncomfortable by staring at the shape of his lips when he frowned. Even now, he wondered if the similarity was coincidence or relation.

This sort of distraction was a novel experience, but enough was certainly enough. Zack had mentioned his Trooper friend in passing one day, remarking with some amusement that he had discovered a poster of Sephiroth rolled up under the young man’s bed. He had pointed Cloud Strife out of the lineup of Troopers as they prepared to leave on a patrol, likely in hopes of teasing the young man with Sephiroth’s response. 

He was a good looking man. He was fairer skinned and slimmer built than most of his squad mates, standing out easily among them. His face was relaxed in a smile as he chatted with the man beside him, blue eyes lit up in amusement. While not his usual sort, Sephiroth could not deny an attraction to the Trooper. It had been quite some time since anyone had stirred any kind of passion in him. The fact that he was a fan should have made it that much simpler. 

Sephiroth had checked the roster and waited for that squad to return from patrol. It had been almost too easy to draw Strife aside. He had seemed pleased enough to know that Zack had pointed him out to Sephiroth. He had gone charmingly pink in the face when Sephiroth mentioned his attraction. It seemed to be going so well. Sephiroth had honestly been surprised when his proposition of an evening together was met with a flat, “No thank you, sir.”

No one had ever turned him down before. Sephiroth had stood there, stunned, while the blonde turned and headed back into the barracks alone. He had attempted to brush it off, he hardly needed to force someone to bed him if he was really wanted companionship. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the delighted smile and sweet blush on the Trooper’s face. While he slept, he was plagued with dreams of a far less innocent nature.

Sephiroth had to have him and Zack would surely know the best way to approach Cloud on the subject.

“Good. I had hoped to speak with you.” Sephiroth closed the door behind him.

When he turned back, he found Zack standing far too close to him. His eyes, usually a faintly glowing blue, flashed bright and green with mako. He had never seen Zack so livid. 

“The only reason I haven’t hit you is because you are my superior officer.” Zack said, his voice carefully calm and at odds with the aggressive stance, “I would be very careful of what you say next, because I’m almost pissed enough not to care about that. It’s really not going to take much to push me over the edge.”

“You’re angry at me… for inviting your friend to spend the evening with me.” Sephiroth said, taking Zack’s advice to heart. Very few things would actually cause him pain, and a punch from someone with Zack’s enhancements might be on that list.

Zack clenched his fists at his sides, “Cloud was devastated last night. He’s wanted to meet you forever. You were his fucking hero. I’ve been trying to convince him to let me introduce the two of you. The last time I brought it up, he said that there was no way that somebody like you would want to meet somebody like him. When I talked to him last night, he said he was wrong… turns out there was one reason.”

For a moment, Sephiroth expected Zack to hit him regardless of rank or reason. When it did not come, Sephiroth sighed, “It was not my intention to distress or insult your friend.”

Zack scowled, but backed away from Sephiroth at last. He dragged his hands through his hair, making a noise of frustration in his through, “I know, I know. I should have been clearer. If I thought that you were going to talk to him on your own, I would have. I expected you to ignore me, like you usually do.”

“You can’t deny that he’s an appealing young man.” Sephiroth said with a careless shrug. He headed toward the relative safety of his desk, not really sure that Zack would remain calm.

“Well he doesn’t exactly do it for me, but I guess I could see where he might for you.” Zack threw himself into the chair in front of Sephiroth’s desk, “It’s just… he’s not the most confident guy, you know?”

“One would think that being propositioned by ‘The Great General Sephiroth’ would do wonders for a person’s self-esteem.” 

When Zack’s expression darkened again, Sephiroth held his hands up in surrender. He watched as Zack forced himself to relax, and could not help but be a little impressed by the control.

“Cloud’s just not like that, alright?” Zack said finally, “He said that the idea of a one night stand just doesn’t interest him, not even with you. Maybe especially not with you. Either way, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t do that again, alright?”

Sephiroth snorted, “I promise not to make another blunt, sexual advance on your friend.”

Zack rolled his eyes and climbed back to his feet. His voice was teasing, but there was a hint of steel that suggested his underlying seriousness, “You make it sound ridiculous, but you’ve already done it once. My little Cloudy deserves better than that!”

He tossed a two fingered salute over his shoulder as he sauntered out of the room, but Sephiroth hardly noticed. He expected to feel less distracted with the matter settled. Zack had all but forbidden him from pursuing Cloud, as the Trooper found his method distasteful and insulting. That was how he had approached every other partner he had ever had. 

Despite jokes about his social ineptness, Sephiroth knew that it was not the only way to seek out a partner. He had found the normal, elaborate ritual unappealing and frankly unnecessary. The sorts of people he had previously been attracted to were easily forgotten and while some of them seemed disappointed when the encounter ended after one evening, no one ever left his bed unsatisfied. 

There was something different about Cloud. Where normally he would have been annoyed by the refusal, Sephiroth was intrigued. The idea of wooing Cloud Strife appealed to him. It would have to be carefully done… he could hardly run through the hallways, proclaiming his feelings for the young man, but he certainly seemed worth a little effort. 

The idea of dates held an appeal they never previously had. He could hardly see himself with a boyfriend, but he liked the idea of a companion that would remain past a singular evening. Cloud was interested in knowing him, not just bedding him. That alone made him interesting.

Sephiroth quickly decided that the first step would be an apology. It would be easy enough to pull up Cloud’s patrol route. His squad would likely be in the building after spending the previous day in the city. He would simply explain that he had meant no offense and then follow up with the offer to begin anew. He had no doubt that Cloud would accept and join him for dinner that very night. Sephiroth set off for the sixtieth floor eagerly.

As the doors of the elevator opened, Sephiroth realized he may have miscalculated. There were four Troopers guarding the floor, each wearing an identical uniform with matching helmets that covered most of their faces. After a moment of observation, Sephiroth was able to pick Cloud out of the group.  
He paused in front of the man, ignoring the other Troopers who were all gawking at him in surprise, “Strife, may I have a word?”

Cloud straightened his shoulders, but did not move from his spot, “Yes sir?”

The words were polite, but cool. There was none of the awe or sweetness from the night before in his voice now. The loss was more of a disappointment than Sephiroth wanted to admit.

“I understand that you were distressed after the conversation we had following your patrol yesterday.” Sephiroth said, words carefully chosen due to their audience. He knew he could have requested a private word, but knew that making Cloud more uncomfortable that he already was would be counterproductive to his plans, “I wished to apologize for any misunderstanding. It was not my intent to insult you… quite the opposite, actually. Zack spoke highly of you and I could see why.”

“It’s kind of you to say, sir.” Cloud replied, equally as careful with his words, “I… understand why you said what you did. It’s alright.”

Sephiroth frowned, “Regardless, I believe we have gotten off to a bad start. I hope we can put it behind us. In fact-”

“Consider it forgotten, sir.” Cloud said quickly, cutting off Sephiroth’s words before he could make any kind of offer in apology. It was also a clear dismissal.

There was nothing more that Sephiroth could say without making things uncomfortable. He made a noise of acknowledgement and turned back towards the elevators. Despite the setback, Sephiroth smiled. He was not deterred in the least. Cloud Strife was going to be a challenge that Sephiroth enjoyed thoroughly.


	2. Chapter 2

As General it was difficult to casually be anywhere. He was too conspicuous to simply wait near the mailroom, not to mention that if Cloud had a brain in his head, it would be obvious who had ordered the expensive treat for him. 

And expensive it was… The strawberries were flown in fresh from Mideel. The chocolate came from the finest candy makers in the Icicle area. An exclusive shop in Sector Two took the fruit and dipped and swirled it into delicious works of art. 

They were a delicacy Sephiroth occasionally indulged in, so he knew they were worth every gil.

Arranging for the gift had been simple and the business’s owner was so pleased to have Sephiroth’s regular business that he would never have breathed a word of it to anyone without his permission. He promised to have the box delivered exactly to Sephiroth’s specifications. 

It was just as easy to arrange a chat with Tseng over coffee in the break room that was across from the mail room. It was not the first time that they had assisted one another in covert observation of someone else. Sephiroth knew enough of the Turk’s dirty secrets to keep him from mentioning the incident to anyone and Tseng found the situation amusing enough to help.

Shortly before lunch on the appointed day, Sephiroth did his best to stay out of sight of the mailroom and made small talk with the head of the Turks, watching a head of blonde hair approach the counter. Sephiroth’s hearing was acute enough to pick up the sound of Cloud’s voice even across the distance, so he let himself eavesdrop.

“Hey there, Della.” Cloud leaned his forearms against the counter to chat up the pretty brunette who worked in the mailroom, “I was told there was a package for me that couldn’t wait.”

Della beamed at him, grabbing the package and setting it in front of him, “Yep. It’s perishable. Needs to be in a refrigerator sooner rather than later.”

“This is for me?” Cloud peered down at the sleek black box with some suspicious, “You’re sure?”

“You’re the only Cloud Strife in the building.” Della nudged the box closer to him, “It’s definitely for you.”

“Alright, alright, but I’m going to open it here. That way, if this is some stupid prank or something the genius behind it will get in extra trouble for making a mess of the mailroom.”

Della laughed knowingly, obviously aware of what the distinctive package contained. Sephiroth savored the wonder on Cloud’s face as he lifted the lid on the treat. He carefully picked up one of the strawberries from the box by the stem, twisting it to admire the artful chocolate swirls.

“You got a sweetie, Strife?” Della teased, eyeing the strawberries wistfully, “You’ve been holding out on me.”

“You better laugh when you say that.” Cloud said, blushing slightly, but grinning at the girl anyway, “It’s me we’re talking about here. I… had a bad day a few days back. Maybe Zack sent them to me to cheer me up. It got me out of patrol and he probably knew I’d bring some up to share with him. I can’t think of anybody else who would bother to do something so nice for me. I’ll go ask him, I guess.”

With a shy smile he held the box out for her. She selected one of the strawberries covered in a delicate gold sugar, “You’re the best. Don’t let Fair eat all of those!”

Cloud closed the lid and tucked the box under his arm. He paused in the hallway outside of the mailroom to enjoy the strawberry he still held in his hand. Sephiroth’s mouth went dry when Cloud’s lips wrapped around the chocolate covered fruit. Sephiroth watched Cloud’s eyes flutter shut in delight at the taste, his gaze stuck on the way Cloud’s tongue chased a bit of strawberry juice that lingered on his lower lip. 

“If you don’t want to be noticed, you might want to wipe the drool from your chin, General.” Tseng remarked blandly, looking down the hall to catch a glimpse of the person who had captured Sephiroth’s attention so completely.

Sephiroth scowled into his coffee and waited until Cloud had walked away to look back up again. Tseng looked insufferably smug, but thankfully held his tongue, “I’m sure I can count on your discretion, Tseng.”

“If you don’t mind my saying so, it’s not my discretion you should be concerned with.” Tseng gave him a pointed look, “This is hardly your usual style.”

“It isn’t the usual situation.” Sephiroth replied, “I appreciate your assistance, of course.”

Tseng saluted him with his coffee cup, “Good luck with the chase, then.”

Sephiroth smirked and nodded, heading his own way. He took his time getting back to his office. If Cloud was going to Zack with the strawberries there was a very good chance that he would return to an irate First’s ranting again. With any luck, Zack would leave when he realized Sephiroth was not working and spend the day stalking the halls to find him.

After a half an hour of wasting time, Sephiroth approached the door to his office. A brief pause assured him the office was empty. His eyes swept over the room, checking to be sure that nothing was missing or out of place.

He was surprised to see the black box on his desk, a small white note resting on top. Sephiroth unfolded the note, disheartened to find two words written in a cramped spikey sprawl.

Not interested.

He set the note aside, trying to ignore the disappointment clawing at him. He wanted to toss the whole mess in the garbage, but knew he would be upset at the waste later. When the door was flung open moments later, Sephiroth did his best to school his expression into blankness. From the way the wicked smile slid off Zack’s face, he knew he had not been quick enough. 

“Hey, Sephiroth, you alright?” 

Sephiroth gave him a faint smile, “I seem to have an abundance of strawberries at the moment. Would you like some?”

Zack smiled and took a strawberry from the proffered box, “You… don’t just want to sleep with Cloud.”

“It’s difficult to say.” Sephiroth replied, selecting a strawberry for himself, “I don’t know him. Thanks to my misstep, it is likely I never will. I am sure my interest will wane with time.”

“Look, Cloud’s my friend, but so are you.” Zack turned the strawberry over in his fingers, “You want the chance to get to know him? I can help. I’ll tell him that you genuinely feel bad about what happened and want to apologize. I’ll convince him to come over and hang out with us, give you two the chance to talk in a no pressure situation. What do you say?”

Sephiroth only needed to consider it briefly before nodding his agreement, “I believe I would like that. Find out when he will have an evening free and plan to come to my apartment for dinner.”

Zack whistled appreciatively, “You’re gonna cook? You do like him. Aw, man, I’m totally in to chaperone now!”


	3. Chapter 3

Cloud tugged irritably at his shirt as the elevator climbed toward the Soldier living quarters, “This is a mistake.”

“No it’s not.” Zack insisted, watching Cloud preen in the window of the elevator with amusement.

“I told you what he said… and then he confronted me in the middle of my guard shift. He was going to ask me out in front of half my squad! Not to mention the stunt with the strawberries.” Cloud scowled and ran his fingers through his hair, trying desperately to finger-comb it into a neater style, “Why the hell am I suddenly so interesting? He’s Sephiroth and I’m me and-“

“Spike.” Zack said sharply, cutting off his angry, self-depreciating rant before it could start, “We’re friends, right?”

Cloud did not answer, but he nodded. Zack bit back a smile at the sullen pout on his face, “Do you really think I would have suggested this unless I was sure of Sephiroth? He’s sorry. He feels bad and wants to make it up to you. Just sit back, enjoy a good meal and have a chat with your idol. You’ll be surprised to find that he’s just as human as the rest of us and says stupid things when confronted with a handsome face.”

“Zaaack.” Cloud moaned, hiding his face in his hands, “Comments like that are doing nothing to make me feel better about this.”

“I’ve known Sephiroth a while.” Zack said, stepping through the elevator doors as they slid open, “I’ve never seen him like this. He got the wrong idea when I said you were a fan. His fans are a little…”

“Easy?” Cloud asked, his voice deceptively pleasant.

Grinning, Zack nodded his agreement, “Not to mention stupid. I also befriend a lot of people. He didn’t realize you were more than just one of my casual acquaintances. It was a case of poor communication all around. Just give him a chance, okay?”

“I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t going to give him a chance.” Cloud muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets, “I just don’t get it.”

“And that’s part of your adorable charm.” Zack said and tossed an arm over Cloud’s shoulders, leading him toward Sephiroth’s apartment, “Damn that smells delicious!”

Cloud was forced to agree with him. He could smell apples and roasting meat along with the hint of familiar spices. It made his mouth water. The food in the mess was not terrible, but it was made quickly to feel a large group, not crafted carefully with flavor in mind. If whatever Sephiroth was cooking tasted half as good as it smelled, Cloud would be thrilled.

Zack barely bothered to knock on Sephiroth’s door before letting himself in, “Hey Seph! We’re here. Tell me that’s almost done, because it smells good enough that I might not care.”

“Savage.” Sephiroth called from the kitchen, his tone lacking any real heat.

Cloud followed Zack’s example, toeing off his boots just inside the door before following his friend into the kitchen. He nearly tripped over his own feet when he saw Sephiroth standing before the stove. He looked oddly domestic, his long hair pulled back in a low ponytail and a plain dark apron protecting his clothes… his not a leather uniform, clothes. Cloud caught himself staring at Sephiroth’s stockinged feet and forced his eyes away. It was oddly intimate to see him standing around in his socks, which made no sense considering Cloud saw his naked chest on almost a daily basis.

“So what are we having?” Zack asked, trying to peer around Sephiroth’s shoulder into the oven.

Sephiroth glanced over his shoulder at the both of them, a slight smile on his lips when he noticed Cloud, “You will have to ask Cloud for the proper pronunciations… I am not sure I could manage without mangling it.”

Before Cloud could ask what Sephiroth meant, the timer sounded and Sephiroth pulled open the oven door. He quickly pulled several ceramic dishes from the racks, each holding food that he had not seen since he had last eaten at his mother’s house. It took everything he had to not drool as the dishes were set on the nearby table.

It looked like a mid-winter’s feast. There was a roast topped with chopped apples and his favorite baked noodle dish covered in a creamy cheese sauce. The stuffed potato dumplings looked exactly like the ones that his mother always made and the bread smelled freshly baked.

Zack grinned and threw himself into one of the chairs, “Oooh… mountain bumpkin food!”

“Better than backwoods jungle food.” Cloud replied tartly, a furious blush blooming on his face when Sephiroth laughed.

To Cloud’s surprise, Zack let out a little whine, “Don’t tell me you’re still holding a grudge after all these years, Sephiroth.”

“I will never forgive you for it.” Sephiroth replied, pulling the apron off and hanging it on a hook near the refrigerator, “Please, make yourself comfortable, Cloud.”

Cloud took one of the remaining chairs, eyeing Zack, “What’d you do, Zack?”

“It was right after Angeal picked me up as a student.” Zack said, scowling at Sephiroth’s back, “Angeal and Sephiroth got tapped to go on a mission south of Gongaga and decided to bring me along as a local expert.”

Sephiroth let out an inelegant snort at that. He took down several large mugs and ladled something from a pot on the stove into each mug. He set one before Zack and another in front of Cloud, “Be careful, that’s quite hot.”

“Aw man, I haven’t had a good Banoran spiced cider… well… in a while. Thanks Seph.” Zack cradled his mug between his hands, “Anyway, we spent the day merrily killing monsters and protecting the populace. As the sun was going down, I convinced them to stop at a little village to get dinner.”

Sephiroth joined them at the table with a mug of his own, “It was nowhere near Gongaga proper and everyone spoke the native language.”

“Old Gongagan…” Zack said with a fond smile, “Sounds like you’re trying to gargle with rocks. Of course, no one would speak in the common tongue, even if they knew it. There wasn’t an inn to speak of, but I was able to talk an old granny into giving us each a bowl of dinner. Basically, dinner is made up of whatever they had that morning. We’re close to the water, so there’s usually quite a bit of seafood. The ground’s good for growing, so most families have gardens with peppers and tomatoes and things. They toss it all together with some spices and simmer all day long.”

With a roll of his eyes, Sephiroth set to slicing the roast and gestured for Zack and Cloud to start dishing out food for themselves, “Everyone knows that Soldier enhancements improve sight and hearing, but most civilians don’t consider what that means when applied to the other senses. Smell is also more acute, touch is more sensitive as is taste.”

“Poor Angeal’s eyes watered just from the smell.” Zack said with a grin, “When Sephiroth saw me tuck into my bowl, he was determined to eat his. Poor sucker. I had grown up on the stuff, it had never tasted spicy to me!”

“In my life, only mako treatments and that crone’s cooking have ever made me ill.” Sephiroth said, scowling darkly at Zack. Cloud could hardly believe that Zack did not shrivel up and die under the intensity of it. He was careful to hide a grin, to keep Sephiroth from turning that glare on him, “She laughed and laughed…”

Zack chuckled and sipped from his mug of cider, “Do you remember how quickly Angeal drained his canteen. He ran to the well and filled it, just so he could drink it down again. He looked like a wet dog when he was finally done!”

Cloud could not help but laugh at that. He had never really seen Angeal Hewley before his death, but he had seen enough pictures of the man in Zack’s apartment for him to accurately imagine the large man practically dumping water over his head in his rush to stop the burning in his mouth.

Sephiroth’s gaze met his and his lips twitched up in a slight smile, “I am glad to say that Nibelheim’s native dishes are far kinder to an enhanced palate. You’re lucky, Cloud. Should you choose to join Soldier, you’ll still be able to enjoy a home cooked meal.”

“I’m a little jealous. That meal I had was the last Gongagan meal I’ll ever be able to eat. I was only a Third at the time, so it wasn’t so bad. I walked past a Gongagan place near Wall Market a few weeks back and the smell made my eyes sting.” Zack nodded down to his full plate, “This look great though, Seph.”

Cloud flushed, realizing how bad mannered he had been, “It really does look like one of my Ma’s home cooked meal, sir. Thank you for inviting me up.”

“Think nothing of it and for tonight, at least, I am Sephiroth.” Sephiroth said, waving Cloud’s thanks away, “Really, it’s the least I can do. We had a poor start and I would like to begin again. Now, have a bite and tell me if I managed to get the taste right.”

Cloud was more than happy to do that. He eagerly scooped up a spoonful of the noodle dish. It was perfect. The cheese sauce was rich and creamy, the noodles melted against his tongue in a way store bought ones never could, “You made the noodles from scratch?”

Sephiroth looked pleased, “I didn’t think anyone would notice the difference.”

“Cooking is one of Seph’s hidden talents.” Zack said with a noise of contentment as he tried some of the roast, “We used to have dinner sometimes and it was always so good.”

”Why’d you stop?” Cloud asked.

It had been an innocent question, but the silence that followed it was heavy. Sephiroth and Zack shared a look before Zack said, “Things just got really busy after I got promoted. Sephiroth and I are in and out of HQ so much nowadays that it’s hard to find the time and energy, you know?”

“I had forgotten how pleasant it could be to prepare a meal, and to have company.” Sephiroth added, “Perhaps it is something that we could attempt to find time for again.”

Zack laughed and pointed at this plate with his fork, “You wouldn’t hear me complain… right Spike?”

Cloud knew there was more that was going unsaid, but he did not push it. He also doubted that Sephiroth had meant to include Cloud in that invitation. Then, Sephiroth turned to him, eyebrows raised in silent question.

“I… yeah, that would be nice.” Cloud could feel his cheeks heating up and quickly turned his face down toward his plate to hide it.

Zack used the distraction to give Sephiroth a pointed look. He slid his eyes toward Cloud with a tiny nod and subtly gestured for Sephiroth to keep the conversation going.

“Zack tells me you have been in the Infantry for some time now.” Sephiroth said, jumping to the firs topic that came to mind, “How do you find it?”

Sephiroth ignored Zack’s frantic head shaking, focusing instead on Cloud. The blonde shrugged, but looked away from his plate again, “It’s alright. It’s boring, mostly, but I’ve been going on more missions with Soldier recently. That’s how I met Zack, actually.”

“Cloud was one of the Troopers assigned to Tseng and I in Modeoheim.” Zack added softly, “All that snow didn’t even slow him down and he had a cool head in a crisis.”

Cloud smiled at Zack, but Sephiroth could see the edge of worry in it. They all knew how hard the mission in Modeoheim had been on Zack. Sephiroth cleared his throat, “Tseng mentioned that the members of the Army that had been assigned to that mission had handled themselves admirably. It’s little surprise that you’ve been tapped for other missions since then.”

Cloud blushed faintly under the praise, but met Sephiroth’s gaze with pride, “Thank you.”

“Have you considered testing for Soldier?” Sephiroth asked, doing his best to ignore the way Zack’s encouraging grin faltered. Despite his initial misstep, he had every confidence that he could navigate a conversation with Cloud. Zack’s continued lack of faith was annoying.

“I… joined the Cadets when I arrived.” Cloud admitted between bites of food, “I failed out of the testing. My scores were good enough to join the Infantry, so I did. I’ve always just figured I didn’t have what it takes.”

Zack rolled his eyes, “What he’s not telling you is that he was fourteen when he tried to test into Soldier.”

Cloud glared at Zack, “I had just turned fifteen.”

“All of two days before-“

“That’s certainly… ambitious.” Sephiroth cut in, trying to head off what was obviously an old argument, “Have you decided that you prefer the Army?”

“It’s not that.” Cloud said, ignoring Zack again to turn back to Sephiroth, “I’ve seen the guys who pass the Soldier exam. They’ve usually got about four inches and a hundred pounds on me before the mako. I just figure that I shouldn’t waste anybody’s time.”

Sephiroth studied him a moment. While it was true that he did not have the physical attributes that the usual Soldier candidates possessed, there was an obvious stubborn willfulness in him that would be just as useful. Physical strength could be cultivated, but conviction and drive made Firsts.

Of course, Sephiroth knew that he could not say as much. That would be coming on strong, even for him. Instead he said simply, “The waste would be losing out on a Soldier with potential, regardless of what he looked like.”

Cloud smiled and glanced back at Zack, “Well, Zack did start giving me some lessons with a sword. He says he’s going to change my mind yet.”

“He’s good, Seph.” Zack said, shoving Cloud’s shoulder playfully, “Not a natural or anything, but he’s a quick study. If he built up his endurance and pushed himself, he’d be a damn good swordsman. If I could get him casting materia, he’d make Third easily.”

“Oh?”

“I’ve never been great with materia.” Zack said, scratching the back of his neck with a wry smile, “I mean, I never had a problem with casting, but that’s because I could always just do it. I don’t really get theory and I can’t explain it in a way that Cloud gets.”

Sephiroth made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat, eyeing Cloud again for a completely different reason than he had been before, “I’ve… never been a teacher before, but I’ve always been a bit of a materia prodigy. If you would like, I would be glad to try and help you through the block.”

For a moment, Cloud’s heart leapt eagerly. Training with Sephiroth was something he had only dreamt of. In his younger years, he had imagined doing well enough during training or exams to catch the General’s eye. The highest ranking Firsts often took on students, although Sephiroth had never done so. Cloud had so badly wanted to be the first.

Of course, Sephiroth had not noticed him because of his skill. The thought was enough to sober him immediately. He set aside his fork, pushing away the mostly empty plate in front of him. The delicious meal was quickly becoming a lump in his stomach.

Zack had been grinning at him, but the grin quickly melted off his face, “Spike?”

Cloud ignored him, fixing Sephiroth with a glare, “I’m not going to sleep with you.”

Instead of the anger or offence that Cloud had expected, Sephiroth’s lips quirked up in a smile, “Yes… you’ve made that perfectly clear.”

Zack shoved away from the table, tossing his napkin on top of his plate with a roll of his eyes, “You two are hopeless. I can’t handle this. I’m going to pretend to go to the bathroom to give you two the privacy to work this out.”

The pair ignored the dark-haired First as he retreated from the room. When they heard the bathroom door close with a click, Sephiroth sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, “For the record, that was not an attempt to get you into my bed… neither was dinner, for that matter.”

“Right.” Cloud snorted, disbelieving, “You really want to just help some random Trooper learn to cast magic, just to be nice.”

“No. I want to help you, because Zack sees something in you.” Sephiroth replied, not letting Cloud’s hostile tone put him off, “He and I have had our differences, but I trust his opinion. We need more good Soldiers, after losing so many. I won’t lie and say that I do not still find you attractive, but I can be a professional. I won’t attempt to pursue someone who is not interested.”

Cloud crossed his arms across his chest, “I don’t do one night stands.”

“I understand that now. I am sorry that I offended you with my offer. It was not my intent.” Sephiroth let his eyes slide away from the angry blonde, “Would you reconsider if I asked you for something more?”

“What?” Cloud asked, gaping at Sephiroth.

“I don’t know if there could be more to it than that.” Sephiroth said, his voice a little rough with embarrassment. His bright eyes flicked back up to meet Cloud’s, “Still, I would like to pursue it, if you’re interested.”

“I don’t…” Cloud could feel his cheeks flushing and scowled at his own reaction, “What are you talking about?”

Sephiroth shot him an exasperated look, “I thought we might try this again sometime. Dinner, perhaps a movie or something afterwards… preferably without Zack eavesdropping on us from the bathroom.”

Zack took the opportunity to obnoxiously flush the toilet, startling a laugh out of Cloud. When he got himself back under control, he unfolded his arms and twisted his fingers together shyly, “You want to go on a date with me? Zack said you don’t date!”

“I have not dated in the past.” Sephiroth corrected gently, “I would be interested to see if we were compatible, at the very least.”

Cloud glanced back up at Sephiroth, surprised by the earnest, vaguely hopeful expression on his face. After a few moments of thought, he nodded, “Alright. That sounds… nice.”

Sephiroth gave himself a little shake and let out a huff of laughter, “Well, I’ve heard people talk about how difficult obtaining a date can be. I see why, now.”

Cloud chuckled, rubbing a hand over his hair, “Sorry.”

“I suppose I deserved to worry a bit over your response.” Sephiroth replied with a smirk, “…all things considered.”

Zack strode back into the room, his face all smiles, “Got that sorted out? Good. You can hammer out the details later. For now, I want some more of this food and some lighter conversation, hm?”

Cloud laughed again and picked up his fork again, “Agreed. It’s not every day that I get to enjoy a meal from home. I’m going to enjoy it.”

“I’m glad you’re pleased, Cloud.” Sephiroth said, dishing out another serving of the dumplings for himself.

Cloud smiled at the man he had once idolized and decided to take Zack’s advice. He relaxed in his seat and enjoyed a good meal with his best friend and the man he had once considered far beyond his grasp. Sephiroth had proven surprisingly human, just as Zack had said he would. Now that he was past being insulted, Cloud found himself flattered that he had been the one to fluster the usually composed man.

They shared a small smile as Sephiroth passed him the plate of sliced bread and Cloud let himself enjoy the way his heart fluttered in his chest, hoping that it was the start of something good.

**Author's Note:**

> This was completed for an anonymous request on ffviiprompts. You can find the community on tumblr and dreamwidth under ffviiprompts.


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